AOC Solutions Inc.

Dan SeewerCTOYears in role: 4Years at company: 4

INSPIRING THE TEAM: “I don’t ask anyone to do anything I am not willing to do myself,” says Dan Seewer, CTO of AOC Solutions Inc. To motivate and inspire his team, Seewer shows up to support them during after-hours IT deployments, keeps an open line of communication, and listens to concerns. In addition, Seewer maintains an active role with his team by attending planning meetings whenever possible. In general, though, Seewer takes a more hands-off approach that empowers his team.

FUN FACT:“I spend entirely too much time traveling the backroads of the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions of the U.S. searching for rare and dusty bourbon.”

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES: The biggest challenge Seewer faces in his role is balancing operational needs, technology improvement and continued product fine-tuning with the growing needs of AOC’s staff. “I solve this balancing act by maintaining open communications with my peers and executive leadership to understand their short-term needs and long-term goals,” says Seewer. Flexibility is another key factor in overcoming this challenge, and Seewer works to keep this value front of mind.

STRONG RELATIONSHIP: “It didn’t take me long after speaking with Allen for the first time to realize he had the gift of leadership,” says Seewer of AOC’s CEO, Allen O. Cage Jr. “Allen enables me to create a flexible and creative environment within IT to provide him choices on how best to support AOC’s vision and direction.”